Lynching of Jesse Washington

Uncommon card · No. 82509

Jesse Washington was a 17-year-old African American farmhand who was lynched in the county seat of Waco, Texas, on May 15, 1916, in what became a well-known example of lynching known as the "Waco Horror". Washington was accused of raping and murdering Lucy Fryer, the wife of his white employer in rural Robinson, Texas. After being found guilty and sentenced to death, he was chained by his neck and dragged out of the county court by observers. Washington was then paraded through the street, all while being stabbed and beaten, before being held down and castrated. He was then lynched in front of Waco's city hall. Over 10,000 spectators, including city officials and police, gathered to watch the attack. There was a celebratory atmosphere among the people at the spectacle of the murder, and many children attended during their lunch hour. Members of the mob cut off Washington's fingers and hung him over a bonfire after saturating him with coal oil. Washington was repeatedly lowered and raised...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain